Dhaka, June 23 -- Myanmar's military killed more than 700 civilians in six months, including hundreds of women and children, according to a UN report cited by the BBC.

The report from the UN Human Rights Office, covering August to January -- the six months from when the military announced elections -- verified a minimum of 702 civilian deaths, including 224 women and 153 children.

The election period has been widely described as a sham, with main opposition parties excluded from standing and large areas of the country barred from participating because of the civil war.

Air strikes remained the single largest cause of destruction and suffering, the report said.

Sagaing was the most dangerous region for civilians, with 191 deaths, inclu...